Jimmy

I came to Jenni about ten years ago at the recommendation of a friend. I was in my 60’s, and scheduled for a double knee replacement. My friend had advised me to do some “pre-hab” with Jenni as she had done, strengthening my legs and core as much as possible before surgery in order to accelerate recovery time.

The surgery went well, I made an excellent recovery, and was soon back to playing racquetball 5-6 days a week. I continued to train with Jenni. We had a couple of agendas: continue to stretch and mobilize the legs to maximize range of motion and proper joint mechanics, and improve strength and agility for racquetball.

Through this process, I have made some discoveries. For one thing, even after 50 years of injuries (starting with a shoulder injury sustained in high school football), the body can learn to overcome limitations and actually perform better through training. Also, it is possible to make significant strength gains into one’s 70’s, and presumably, beyond.

How do we achieve results?

We set goals. At the beginning of each year, we look back at what has been accomplished or overlooked in the previous year. We look at what we want to happen in the upcoming year and make a prioritized list. Then periodically we revisit and determine if we are meeting our goals, or if we need to adjust our course.

We work on fundamentals. After knee surgery, I had to relearn how to jump and run backwards. My center of balance had changed. I had to gain confidence in my “new” legs after my old ones had started to fail, making me fearful at times. Balance exercises, lots of single leg work, and footwork drills put me back in action. Core training has added speed and stability to my racquetball game. Specific upper body work has improved my backhand and made my forehand more powerful and more efficient.

We keep records. We have created spreadsheets that track the workouts chosen to best fulfill our goals, and log metrics on each exercise; weights, reps etc.

We do research. Whether it is nutrition, biomechanics, or the latest in heart or hormone studies, we investigate a variety of pertinent subjects. Together we explore how to translate these studies into better health choices.

All in all, I have learned to open my mind to a focussed workout, and to benefit from creative and intelligent exercise plans. I am stronger at 74 than I was in my 60’s, and more important, I still win racquetball tournaments against 20 year olds!